1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates in general to a system and method of flight control of a rotorcraft. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for automation of a rotorcraft entry into autorotation and maintenance of stabilized autorotation.
2. Description of Related Art
A traditional method of dealing with autorotation relies on pilot recognition of the engine failure and subsequent pilot action to reduce the collective pitch rapidly in order to preserve main rotor RPM to allow for a controlled rate of descent and maintenance of sufficient rotor kinetic energy to slow the rate of descent prior to landing and cushion the landing. Also, pilot manipulation of the cyclic may be required, depending on the aircraft dynamics and the flight condition, to initially maintain rotor speed and subsequently adjust forward speed for maximum efficiency. Previous rotorcraft systems have used engine data and rotor speed measurements to trigger warnings to assist the flight crew in recognizing the condition. Significant room for improvement remains in the field of flight control systems for rotorcraft.